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Acupuncture for Low Back Pain (2)
Your doctor says you have at least two herniated discs, and you are scheduled for surgery in a month. At this stage, is there any point in trying acupuncture? I had a case several months ago that shows how helpful acupuncture can be. A woman was referred to my clinic by her doctor for pain control while she was waiting for surgery, which was scheduled in twenty days. Her husband brought her in, because she was in too much pain to drive. After having about eight acupuncture treatments, she returned to her doctor for a pre-operative check-up. Her pain had been reduced considerably, and her mobility and range of motion were much improved. The doctor was surprised to see how much better she was. After a thorough examination, he decided to cancel the surgery and let her continue with acupuncture treatments for another month. She continued to improve, even flying to England to deliver a lecture. I am not saying that acupuncture is a substitute for surgery. Some people will need to have an operation to relieve severe back conditions. But most people who try acupuncture will experience improvement in pain levels and mobility, and some of them may be able to avoid surgery.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has several effective modalities for treating low back pain. The most common modality is acupuncture, which is highly effective for both acute and chronic low back pain. Acupuncture is often combined with electro-stimulation, where a machine that produces a mild electric current is attached to the acupuncture needles with clips. The frequency and intensity of the electric current depend on the condition of the patient. Moxibustion is a TCM practice that goes back hundreds of years. A particular plant of the artemesia family is processed into a concentrated form, and then it is burned, something like a stick of incense. It can be applied to the handle of an acupuncture needle, or just held above the surface of the skin, and it has a deeply warming effect.
Chinese herbs and herbal formulas are also a very important TCM modality. In China, all of the chronic low back patients are treated with herbal formulas and acupuncture, and even the acute low back patients will often get an herbal prescription. Herbs are important because they have a very strong effect to correct internal imbalances. The reason herbs are given to chronic low back pain patients is because this kind of pain is seen as a symptom of a deeper internal imbalance. A number of TCM patterns such as Kidney deficiency, Chi or Yang deficiency, Cold Accumulation, meridian obstruction, and others will have chronic low back pain as a symptom. Ideally, acupuncture, herbs, moxibustion, and dietary modifications would be used in combination, as needed, to open blocked meridians, promote the flow of Chi and blood, and tonify the deficiencies and degeneration that can come with age and stress.
Comment made on this article doesn't stand for the position of TCMADVISORY.
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